Combined signaling and advertising device



. E. H. MEDEN COMBINED SIGNALING AND ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Sept. 12. 1921 March 29, 1927.

#AINVENZUR. BYW

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 29, 19 27.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELOF H. MEDEN, OF SHORT HILLS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN GASACGU- MULATOR COMPANY, OF ELIZABETH,

JERSEY.

NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW COMBINED SIGNALING AND ADVERTISING DEVICE.

Application filed September 12, 1921. Serial No. 500,022.

In case of highways having danger points located at intervals therein such as sharp turns, railroad crossings and the like, it is desirable, even necessary, for safety that cautionary signals be employed to warn approaching automobilists and others of the presence of danger. As a practical matter it is also very desirable, if not absolutely essential or necessary, that the character of the danger point be indicated.

It is the purpose or object of the present invention to provide means for indicating the presence of danger to automobilists and others and also to associate with the said means advertisting media as well as the media or means for indicating or furnishing other information.

In the case of some, perhaps most, danger points or danger areas upon a highway it may be necessary that the area of danger be indicated to automobilists and others approaching the same from both directions, in which case two devices would be employed, one upon one side and the other upon the opposite side of the danger point or area. In other words, the danger signal is displayed to a person or persons approaching the danger point. These devices in addition to having means for indicating dan ger to an approaching person upon one side are also provided with means or media upon the opposite side for furnishing other information, such as advertising data.

A further purpose or object of the device is to provide means visible from a direction at right angles to that from which a person traveling along the road approaches the device for furnishing other information such as that of the number of the route upon which the device is located. This is an important desideratum in view of the fact that at the present time many if not most of the different roads throughout the country are allocated to different routes. By the provision of means associated with the signaling devices embodying my invention for indicating these routes travelers are enabled to ascertain without difficulty whether or not they are upon the route along which they desire to travel.

In addition to the provision of signaling means and the furnishing of the information above indicated the sides of the ped estal supporting the signaling means may have printed or painted thereon information of different kinds, particularly advertising. 1

In order that the invention may be readily understood and its practical advantages fully appreciated. reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which one.

convenient form of embodiment thereof is shown. However, it will be understood that changes in the details of construction may be made within the scope of the claim without departing from the said invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a View in elevation of one side of the device a portion of the pedestal thereof being broken away so that only a small portion of the upper part of said pedestal is shown;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the opposite side of the device;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the upper portion of the device, including a small part of the upper portion of the pedestal, looking toward the right in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing: 1 designates the upper portion of a pedestal which may be of the construction and shape of the pedestal shown and described in my pending application filed February 2, 1921, Serial Number 441,740. Supported upon the upper part of the pedestal 1 is a tapered intermediate neck-like portion 2 upon which the hollow head portion of the device is supported, the lower. portion of the latter being secured to the upper portion of the said neck-like portion 2. The head portion comprises a circular part 3 of suitable material, such as sheet metal, and'opposite face portions 4 and 5. The face portions 4 and 5 are swelled outwardly from points adjacent the edges thereof so that each of the said face plates is provided with an annular flange 6 which is adapted to be secured to the circular'lateral wall or casing 3. The face 4 upon one side of the device is provided with a central opening which preferably is closed by means of a concentrating lens, although such lens is not necessary. The said opening may be closed by a plain, transparent sheet of suitable material, such as glass, which shouldbe colored red to indicate danger. Such glass or lens is protected by means of a grating 10 which may be of any known construction, the said grating being carried upon a swinging circular frame structure.

A light, preferably a flashing light, is situ- :ited within the interior of the head opposite the central opening previously referred to, so that the rays of light therefrom are transmitted through the transparent medium previously referred to. Associated with the said central opening is the word Danger as indicated at 15 in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and also associated therewith are means indicating the character of the danger as to which the caution is given. In the construction as shown the danger indicated is that of a railroad crossing and is indicated by the letters It It in Fig. 2. Instead, however, of the danger beingthat of a railroad crossing it may bea curve in the road, in which case the word .Curve would be substituted for the letters R It and also an arrow formed by cutting an arrow shaped opening in the plate l would be placed upon one side or the other of the opening, which arrow should be curved to indicate the direction of the said curve. Danger of any other character may be indicated in the same or a similar manner. The letters within the face 4 of the head are formed by cutting out the material as indicated and the openings formed by the cutting out of said letters are closed by means of transparentplates of glass or other suitable material.

Upon the opposite side of the head; that is, within or upon the face plate 5, means is provided for furnishing other information such as advertising data or the like. In the present construction the said opposite face 5 is of metal and consequently the information is furnished by cutting openings in the form of letters to spell words. For instance, the name of the person or company advertising together with the name of the article dealt in may be given. In the present in stance the name of a fictitious person, J. Doe, appears in the said face plate 5 associated with the word Gasoline, indicating that the latter is the product dealt in by him. The openings forming the letters are closed by means of transparent plates of glass or other suitable material which are secured to the inner side of the said plate.

Instead of the plate being of metal or of other opaque material it may be of translucent material sothat light within the head, which preferably is a flashing light, will be transmitted through the same, In this latter case letters or other data printed or painted on the translucent or transparent face will be clearly visible when the interior of the head is illuminated whether pcrmanently or at intervals.

In order that information, 'such as the number of theroute upon which the device located, may be indicated, I have provided in an edge of the head portionofthe structure; that is, in the circular wall 3 .at a point practically in horizontal. alinement with the center of the head, an opening as indicated at 20 which is closed preferably by ineansof a translucent sheet of material 21 having thereon figures indicating the number ofthe route, the number 12 being shown in the present drawing.

In the present structure a gas burnenQZ for supplyingthe light is shown, but it will be understood that any suitable-kind of light may be employed,,which preferably should be. a flashing light. If gas is-,einployedit may be supplied. from renewable gas tanks of the character shown in my application aforesaid. 7

As already indicated, thesides ot the pedestal 1 may have printed or painted matter thereon,which may consist of advertisements or statements of any other kind or, character which may be preferred.

It will be seen that I have provided a de-.

vice which combines meansifor signaling to indicate danger and also for furnishing other information of a character which it is desirable shall be furnished, such as advertisements.

.Another. advantage from a practical standpoint-pf placing the .route, number upon a transparent sheet within .an openingein, an, edge or the head portion of the structure.

facing transversely orv across the road :or highway on which the. device is located JS that in order ito.see the same it is necessary for automobilists and otherstraveling along,

the road or highway to slow down and in so doing they are more apt to beimpressed with thecharacter of the danger which they are approaching and also they are more apt to read and. to take note of the advertising which appears upon thedevicdthan would be the case if they did not thus slow down.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimanddesireto secure by-Letters Patent is:

A combined highway signaling and ad vertising device, comprising oppositely disposed walls which .are, spaced from each otherand which face in the direction of the length of'the highway on or adjacent to which the said device is located, oneatleast of the said walls-being opaqueand provided with openings therethrough to indicate any information desired to be conveyed and the other one of which is adapted to indicate in.- formation of different character which it is desired to convey, an inclosing Wall interposed between the said first named walls, the outer surface of which faces in directions transversely of the length of the said highway, and the said inclosing wall being 5 provided with an opening therethrough which is closed by a plate through which light is adapted to be transmitted, the said plate having thereon information conveymg media, and means for illuminating the space within the said walls.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto signed my name this 2d day of September A. D 1921.

ELOF H. MEDEN. 

